Professor receives state Celebrate Literacy Award

March 30, 2012 | Paul K. Logsdon

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Dr. Becky Huechteman, professor of education at Evangel University, recently was honored with the 2012 Celebrate Literacy Award presented by the Missouri State Chapter of the International Reading Association. This award recognizes organizations, institutions and individuals that have made significant literacy contributions at the local, state or provincial level.

The award was presented to Huechteman, along with two other honorees, at the 2012 Write to Learn Conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort on March 2.

“Endless students, teachers and literacy leaders have been touched by the work of Dr. Becky Huechteman,” said Kerri Bruce, literacy coach at Springfield’s Holland Elementary.

“As president of the Springfield Council of IRA, I am honored to say that our council nomination was chosen for state recognition for an individual whose contributions and benefits to the community have surpassed the norm where literacy is concerned.”

Huechteman’s history of service

Huechteman has been a member of Evangel’s faculty since 1981. She served as chair of the education department from 1995 to 2008.

In 2009, Becky received the national Delta Alpha Distinguished Educator Award from the Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education. In 2000, she was the recipient of the E.M. and Estella Clark Award for Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship & Service.

In addition to teaching, she is coordinator of the graduate reading program at Evangel. She has been working with literacy specialists in Springfield schools for several years to offer the annual Literacy Conference for area teachers on Evangel’s campus.

Huechteman presents in-service and professional workshops for area schools; has served as the college liaison for Partners in Education, Weller Elementary School; and is former president of the Springfield chapter of International Reading Association. In addition, she was a board member of the Missouri Association for Colleges of Teacher Education for two terms and served on numerous accreditation review teams for the state.

Prior to joining the Evangel faculty, she taught in elementary schools in Salinas, Calif., as well as in Everton, Sparta, Marshfield and Florissant, Mo.

Huechteman holds a Doctor of Philosophy in curriculum and instruction for reading from the University of Missouri–Columbia, a Master of Science in reading education from Missouri State University and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Southwest Missouri State College.

Evangel University is a private, Christian university of arts, sciences and professions. With an enrollment of more than 2,000 students from all 50 states and abroad, Evangel offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and nine master's programs.

About Evangel

Evangel is an accredited, liberal arts university with more than 100 academic programs on the cutting edge of today's professional fields. Our commitment to the integration of faith, learning and life attracts students from a wide variety of Christian denominational backgrounds who have a strong commitment to academics with a desire to combine their Christian faith with every aspect of their lives.